Gandamak 1842 : The retreat from Kabul (1 Viewer)

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chalklands

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Hi,
Thought I'd show some pictures of a bespoke diorama I commissioned a couple of years ago. The battle of Gandamak (1st Afghan War):

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I'll post some more pictures in a mo...........
 
The figures are 1:54 resin produced by Time Machine Miniatures, painted by Steve Dixon (Mariella Miniatures), the diorama is by David Marshall (TMTerrain).

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I'm really pleased with the result.

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"the worst British military disaster until the fall of Singapore exactly a century later."

Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures (my fault!)

Hope you enjoy!

Pete
 
Pete, that's a fantastic dio. I have always hoped someone like JJD would lend his talents to this particular episode. William Wollen did a painting of the incident called 'Last Stand of the 44th Regiment at Gandamak, 1842'. It is one of my favorite paintings and I have a large, framed print of it on my wall. -- Al
 
The 1842 Kabul Retreat (or Massacre of Elphinstone's Army) took place during the First Anglo-Afghan War. Following an uprising in Kabul, Major General Sir William Elphinstone negotiated an agreement with Wazir Akbar Khan, one of the sons of the Afghan Emir Dost Mohammad Barakzai, by which his army was to withdraw to the British garrison at Jalalabad, more than 90 miles (140 km) away. As the army and its numerous dependents and camp-followers began its march, it came under attack from Afghan tribesmen. Many of the column died of exposure, frostbite or starvation or were killed during the fighting.

The Afghans launched numerous attacks against the column as it made slow progress through the winter snows of the Hindu Kush. In total the British army lost 4,500 troops, along with about 12,000 civilians: the latter comprising both the families of Indian and British soldiers, plus workmen, servants and other Indian camp-followers. The final stand was made just outside a village called Gandamak on 13 January.Out of more than 16,000 people from the column commanded by Elphinstone, only one European (Assistant Surgeon William Brydon) and a few Indian sepoys reached Jalalabad. A few dozen British prisoners and civilian hostages were later released. Many of the British and Indians died of exposure, frostbite or starvation or were killed during the fighting. Around 2,000 of the Indians, many of whom were maimed by frostbite, survived and returned to Kabul to exist by begging or to be sold into slavery. Some at least returned to India after another British invasion of Kabul several months later, but others remained behind in Afghanistan.

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lancer said:
Pete, that's a fantastic dio. I have always hoped someone like JJD would lend his talents to this particular episode. William Wollen did a painting of the incident called 'Last Stand of the 44th Regiment at Gandamak, 1842'. It is one of my favorite paintings and I have a large, framed print of it on my wall. -- Al
Click to expand...

Hi Al,
Yes, I'm with you totally, if anybody could do this justice it would be John Jenkins. As fine as the resin figures are, only John could produce a series that exemplifies this engagement... thinking of the Poilu's and Snowshoes....

They are great in 1:54 scale, but if John did them in 1:30 scale they would be amazing! Thinking of the 'chunkiness' of the Poilu and Snowshoe figures (if that makes sense)

Pete
 
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chalklands said:
Hi Al,
Yes, I'm with you totally, if anybody could do this justice it would be John Jenkins. As fine as the resin figures are, only John could produce a series that exemplifies this engagement... thinking of the Poilu's and Snowshoes....

They are great in 1:54 scale, but if John did them in 1:30 scale they would be amazing! Thinking of the 'chunkiness' of the Poilu and Snowshoe figures (if that makes sense)

Pete
Click to expand...
John could well do this episode on a limited number of figures basis like his Snowshoes, Gordon of Khartoum, or Leuthen series. He could even do a base for the figures. Maybe a couple of dozen 44th Ft., with a few Afghans thrown in for effect. ^&grin -- Al
 
I too have always been interested in this episode.The 44th had a rough history as they were also on the Monongahela with Braddock in 1755.I have bought Time Machine Miniatures (I have their Bushy Run vignette) and almost bought these figures a few years ago.They also have a huge Roman line representing the Tuetoberger battle. This is a beautiful diorama you have and one to be proud of. http://timemachineminiatures.com/figures/British Colonial Series
Mark
 
Pete,

thanks for showing us all this wonderful diorama, it looks so good, its like you are really there!!!

I do like it when makers make a set of figures that all can be combined into a grouping based on famous paintings, but so far, not many have done that with painted figures.

As I'm a painted, I have been able to produce a few sets on the Napoleonic ear, like Tradition of London's 'Retreat from Moscow' and Alexander's Toy Soldiers 'Steady the Fife & Drums' and 'Retreat to Corunna'

Well done, this must be the centrepiece of your collection?

JOhn
 
Incredible diorama Pete! Thanks for sharing this wonderful diorama with us.

Thanks,

Brendan
 
love this dio. great groundwork and nice to see something from this period . thanks for sharing.

agree John Jenkins would be perfect for this period, or indeed the Indian Mutiny 20 years later.
Had always hoped that his 18th century North American ranges would stretch into the Indian Subcontinent.......another theatre
of the same war in the 1750s after all..........

best
Andrew

:salute::{bravo}}
 
Pete...

this is really nice...

I would love to own this...

snow dioramas are my favorite...
 
Hi Chaps,
Thanks for the kind comments. I am very pleased with it, but all I did was stump up the cash! The real thanks should go to Steve Dixon (Mariella Miniatures) who painted/modified the figures and David Marshall (TMTerrain) who made the diorama and pulled the whole thing together. It was actually finished in 2010, but I have just got round to posting some pictures of it!!

Pete
 
Obee said:
Pete,

thanks for showing us all this wonderful diorama, it looks so good, its like you are really there!!!

I do like it when makers make a set of figures that all can be combined into a grouping based on famous paintings, but so far, not many have done that with painted figures.

As I'm a painted, I have been able to produce a few sets on the Napoleonic ear, like Tradition of London's 'Retreat from Moscow' and Alexander's Toy Soldiers 'Steady the Fife & Drums' and 'Retreat to Corunna'

Well done, this must be the centrepiece of your collection?

JOhn
Click to expand...

Hi John,
Thanks for the kind comments. My photography skills are left wanting I'm afraid! I wouldn't say it was the centrepiece of my collection, but it sure is up there! VERY pleased with it.

So much to collect, not enough cash, too much choice, not enough space........

Pete
 
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Fantastic Dio! Looks inrcredible. One question on the background. Any particular reason to have parts of the backdrop framed separately? Is it to match the rest of the display that has differently framed images in other levels?
Thanks for sharing...
 
egonzinc said:
Fantastic Dio! Looks inrcredible. One question on the background. Any particular reason to have parts of the backdrop framed separately? Is it to match the rest of the display that has differently framed images in other levels?
Thanks for sharing...
Click to expand...

Hi,
Thanks for your kind comments. Re the background, It's just personal taste. The frames match the cabinet, fit quite well on the shelves (I have them on other shelves in the cabinet), and I like the effect, that's all.

Pete
 
Hi,
Me again!

If anybody is interested in this conflict, I can recommend two good books:

'Signal Catastrophe' by Patrick Macrory and 'Return of a King, The Battle For Afghanistan' by William Dalrymple.

Pete
 
chalklands said:
Hi,
Me again!

If anybody is interested in this conflict, I can recommend two good books:

'Signal Catastrophe' by Patrick Macrory and 'Return of a King, The Battle For Afghanistan' by William Dalrymple.

Pete
Click to expand...

'Return of a King' is what I finished reading last year, a BIG book, but really describes the situation in that part of the world and the subsequent history of the British in India.

Thoroughly recommended !!!

I wish I had known more about those times when I travelled through the NW Frontier and across Afghanistan on the 'Hippy Trail' in the 1970's but after seeing the landscape, I can see how the Brits had no change against the local tribesmen ..... much like the modern conflicts ?????

John
 
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